Voltage multipliers have a wide range of applications and uses. Basically, they are used where it is necessary to convert a low voltage of an existing voltage supply to a higher voltage for a consumer. Thus, voltage multipliers can be used in satellites for example, which can have a high number of high-voltage components, each of which may require an individually provided high voltage or its own high-voltage value. To this end, a voltage multiplier is provided for each high-voltage component, which multiplies a low voltage on board the satellite to the required high-voltage value.
A voltage multiplier can basically be built such that, starting from an input voltage, two branches are alternately switched to an output. The controlled switches required for this are switched to be conductive or blocking (i.e., non-conductive) by means of a control voltage. It may be necessary here to set the control voltage with reference to a potential of the switches that alternates under certain circumstances, so that the corresponding circuit requires a high complexity for this.